ES2770614T3 - Method for online water quality control - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of monitoring the quality of water flowing in a pipe, by diverting a flow of water from the pipe to a laser particle counter that continuously counts particles within a Sn particle size range in the water flow deviated, to determine for each time ti a number cin of particles within said size range per volume of water, - comparing cin with a previously determined reference value cnref for the number of particles per volume of water flowing in the pipe; and - take a sample of the water from the pipeline when cin exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVAn for more than a predetermined period of time tna y - send an alarm signal when cni exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVna for more than a predetermined period of time TVna; characterized by - diverting a flow of water from the pipeline to a filtering unit that filters the water to provide a flow of permeate and a flow of concentrate, and - taking a sample from at least one of said flow of permeate and the flow of concentrated when cni exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVnB for more than a predetermined period of time nB.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Method for online monitoring of water quality

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of water treatment and water quality control in a water distribution system.

Background of the invention

Access to good quality water is of vital importance to humanity worldwide. Especially in emerging markets, the challenge is very real in many water-scarce countries. The availability of clean and safe water is a major problem in both developed and developing countries. At present, the world faces a difficult challenge to meet the growing demand for drinking water systems due to population growth, urbanization, increased contamination of water bodies by various industrial and agricultural activities, to heavy rains and droughts caused by climate change and to the demands of various users (Vorosmarty et al, 2000; Lee et al. 2005; Moe et al, 2006; Coetser et al, 2007, Theron et al 2008). According to the WHO, more than 1 billion people, mainly in developing countries, still do not have access to an adequate supply of drinking water (World Health Organization, 2004) and, as a result, the quality of health and the well-being of vulnerable groups (children, the elderly and the poor) depends on the availability of a safe and affordable water supply (Theron et al, 2008; Theron et al, 2002).

However, the fact is that a growing human population demands clean and safe drinking water from the community. An estimated 2.2 billion people lack access to clean and safe water. There are 900 million water-related diseases per year: half of the world's hospital beds are filled with people suffering from water-related diseases (World Health Organization), mainly affecting children and women. Every year two million children die, or one every 15 seconds, as a result of drinking contaminated water (World Health Organization). These are incredible numbers.

Municipal wastewater treatment plants dealing with domestic wastewater and industrial effluents are the main source of pollution in rivers and lakes. Treated and untreated water, as well as overflows, go directly to nature and can pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems in lakes and rivers. The water from lakes and rivers is also the source of drinking water.

Although drinking water is our most common and valuable product, there is a lack of practical real-time detection and monitoring systems, as well as adequate treatment systems that address the need to detect potential micro-contaminants such as bacteria and parasites and pharmaceutical residues in drinking water. Improved monitoring and sampling systems are needed along with effective treatment to detect and prevent any sudden deterioration in water quality and to take appropriate measures, such as effective disinfection or purification.

There are various online instruments available on the market today, for example instruments to measure TOC (total organic carbon), BOD (biological oxygen demand), ions, chlorine, DO (dissolved oxygen), etc. . The most common, however, in all water treatment plants in the world is to measure pH, temperature, turbidity and chlorine. These parameters are not processed and do not provide information on microbiological growth or the danger of parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia or on the increase of organic matter, etc.

Two important examples of pathogenic microorganisms that can be transmitted to humans through contaminated water are Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidium oocysts are common and widespread in ambient water and can persist for months in this environment. The dose required to infect humans (i.e. the infectious dose) is low, and several outbreaks of waterborne diseases caused by this protozoan have occurred around the world, and continue to do so. The problem is compounded by the fact that Cryptosporidium is resistant to commonly used water disinfection practices, such as chlorination, and the fact that there are currently no effective medications to prevent or control Cryptosporidium gastroenteritis .

Giardiasis is the most commonly documented intestinal protozoan infection worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that 200 million people are infected each year. Human Giardia infections have been documented in all major climatic regions, from the tropics to the Arctic. Giardia cysts are ubiquitous in surface waters of all qualities. Since Giardia infections are widespread in human and animal populations, environmental contamination is unavoidable and cysts have been detected even in the most pristine surface waters.

The source of Cryptosporidium and Giardia related to humans is sewage. Today there is no surveillance system that controls the microbiological discharge to nature, that is, to lakes and rivers. The Treated or untreated wastewater with a microbiological load of varying concentration is mixed with water from lakes and rivers, known as "natural dilution".

Another emerging contamination that, together with pathogens, causes an environmental burden on water sources is the residues of pharmaceutical products, which originate both from the pharmaceutical industry and from the consumption of antibiotics in humans and animals. Additionally, personal care products have also become an environmental problem today.

These residues cling to micropollutants, such as bacteria and protozoa, in a stream of water and cause damage to the environment; and finally they affect human beings. In fact, wastewater containing drug residues leads to contamination of the source water, used for the production of drinking water. Pharmaceutical / personal care product waste appears to be an emerging environmental problem on a global scale.

As used herein, the term wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It includes liquid wastes discharged from domestic residences, commercial properties, industries and / or agriculture. An example of wastewater is municipal wastewater.

Improved sensitive surveillance systems with pollutant sampling and inactivation are needed to ensure proper application of different levels of water cleanliness to detect these pollutants. Sudden deterioration in water cleanliness due to the presence of pathogens and pharmaceutical residues in treated wastewater and source / lake water is the challenge of today and tomorrow.

The treatment of wastewater is necessary to reduce organic loads and suspended solids, to limit environmental pollution and avoid health risks. The existing treatment methods used in municipal wastewater are physical, chemical and biological processes. The physicochemical process involves primary and secondary sedimentation using chemical precipitation, chemical coagulation, and removal of suspended solids and dissolved matter, and filtration. Biological treatment mainly involves the production of activated sludge and biomass.

This is a very complex system and the entire process takes around 24-40 hours and involves several stages in the treatment of wastewater (Tansel, 2008). The term "total organic carbon" generally refers to carbon bound in organic material derived from decaying vegetation, bacterial growth, and the metabolic activities of living organisms or chemicals. The high content of organic carbon in the water is an indicator that microbiological growth is possible.

Pathogens such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, hookworm, amoebas and bacteria and pharmaceutical residues can be present in untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater and if this water reaches the river / lake, the water becomes unsuitable as a water source potable, as there is no control system that provides information on contamination.

New technologies are being developed for wastewater treatment, such as BRM (membrane bioreactors), separations of organics by nanotechnology, ultrafiltration and nanofiltration, and so on.

The focus in wastewater treatment today is to remove nitrogen and phosphorus and convert waste into energy. Nanotechnology and BRM membrane bioreactors of varying size and capacity have been identified and developed to provide solutions to many of the difficulties associated with water treatment and quality (Theron et al, 2008)

Considering the importance of clean water around the world and taking into account concerns about the feasibility of recent practices to meet the growing demand for water, there is a pressing need to develop new technologies and materials that address the challenges associated with cleaning the water. safe drinking water, from recycled water and from source water and from lakes to be used for different purposes. While new water treatment technologies are being developed today, there is a need for a new, cost-effective, easy-to-use, consistent and more effective purification system that can eliminate / attenuate parasites, such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, in one step as well as pharmaceutical residues in the treated water stream.

Currently, the normal method of detecting microorganisms in water is to collect 500 ml of water samples at random in sterile bottles and then take less than one drop from each sample for analysis. To determine the presence of any microorganism, the sample can be incubated on an agar plate followed by counting the colony-forming units on the plate. It goes without saying that such methods have several drawbacks. One drawback is the high risk of undetected contamination due to the random nature of the sampling. Another drawback is the low sensitivity due to the small volume analyzed: only a fraction of a drop is used for analysis and evaluation of a 500 ml sample.

For parasites, a standard regular scan is not performed due to the high cost and complexity of the scan. Some larger water treatment plants test samples once a month or once a year. The analysis takes several weeks at a high cost. In addition, more than 100 liters of water are needed to perform a proper analysis.

However, microbiological contamination is prone to occur from time to time in a water distribution system, for many reasons, for example if, for some reason, water treatment fails or biofilm becomes loose in a distribution system. Such microbiological contamination can exist for a very short time, for example, 5 to 60 seconds, or longer, before the water quality returns to normal again. State-of-the-art random sampling is not suitable for catching this type of microbiological contamination. Pollution of this nature can occur several times a day / week / month and go unnoticed but cause more or less serious health problems for the consumer.

US Patent No. 7,891,235 discloses a method for controlling the quality of water in a water system. In this system, a water pipe is provided to carry water inside. A particle sensor is in working order with the water line. The particle sensor continuously counts particles in the water in the water line. The particle sensor triggers the collection of a water sample only when the particle count reaches a predetermined level.

International application No. WO / 2002/017975 describes a method for evaluating the presence of ozone-consuming agents on the surface of an object or within a closed volume, providing an ozone-containing fluid, by bringing the fluid into contact with the object or introducing the fluid into the closed volume, measuring the ozone concentration in the fluid and evaluating the presence of ozone consuming agents as a function of the measured ozone concentration. In particular, the method is applicable as a method for evaluating cleanliness, expressed in terms of the essential absence of ozone-consuming agents, of a surface or volume.

International application number WO / 2011/061310 describes a water supply and control system comprising a first water pipe, a particle sensor for detecting particles in the water at a first location in said pipe; a second pipe, in fluid communication with the first pipe by means of a first valve arranged at a second location in the first pipe downstream of the first location; a third pipe, in fluid communication with the first pipe at a location between the first and second locations; a second valve, which allows the water carried by the first pipe to flow into the third pipe. Also described is a method using such an arrangement, which comprises determining a content of particles in the water within a particle size range within the range of 0.1 to 100 microns in the first pipe; trigger the closing of the first valve and the opening of the second valve when the determined content of particles is higher than a predetermined level, whereby the water flowing in the first pipe is diverted from the second pipe to the third pipe.

US 2008/067133 A1 discloses a method for isolating the impacts of slow change events in corrosion transport from those due to steady state corrosion in boiler / steam cycle processes. The method includes monitoring, in real time, with a particle counter or particle monitor the levels of suspended particles in a fluid flow stream and the automatic collection of insoluble particles large enough to be captured on a filter of 0.45mm when, and only when, these levels exceed an "event threshold".

Document US 2008/289402 A1 describes a method for monitoring the quality of water in a water system comprising a water pipe for transporting water and a particle sensor in operative engagement with the water pipe. The particle sensor continuously counts particles in the water in the water pipe and triggers a water sample collection only when the particle count reaches a predetermined level.

Document WO 2013/091658 A2 describes a device and a method for detecting particles, in particular parasites, in drinking water adapted to online application. The method comprises: Passing at least a part of the water through a filter; applying indirect sonication with ultrasound to said filter to release parasites that have been collected on said filter without disturbing said parasites; collect parasites for detection; and detect the collected parasites.

Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide methods for the final treatment of water, as well as the control, sampling and classification of contaminants (pharmaceutical waste and Cryptosporidium and Giardia parasites ) in real time, while the use of chemicals it is substantially reduced and clean water classified for different purposes can be obtained.

Another object of the invention is to provide a correct water sample of a precise volume of water with contamination information.

By the method of the present invention, water sampling is advantageously performed in the event of contamination, rather than randomly, and as long as the contamination persists.

Another objective of the present invention is to concentrate in real time the volume of water sampled without destroying the contaminants.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide methods for treating water in which viruses, bacteria, algae, protozoa and parasites are effectively removed from the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide methods for the plant management to make a quick decision to avoid contamination in water bodies.

Another object of the present invention is to provide methods for reducing the content of microbiological contaminants and small particles (eg drug residues) in bodies of water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide methods for reducing the content of chemical contaminants, such as drugs, personal care products, pesticides, insecticides, etc., in water such as municipal (tap) water, in treated wastewater or in source water.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide methods for improving water quality control. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide methods for improved detection of even very low amounts of microbial contamination in water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a water treatment process with quality control in real time while maintaining a high level of efficiency, safety and security in the water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of monitoring the quality of the water flowing in a water distribution system where water samples are captured in relation to the occurrence of contamination.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for monitoring water quality wherein sampling of the water is triggered by the detection of the presence of contaminants in the water.

In accordance with the present invention, therefore, a method is provided for controlling the quality of the water flowing in a pipe, by means of

(i) the deflection of a flow of water from the pipe to a laser particle counter that continuously counts the particles within a particle size range Sn in the deflected water flow, to determine for each time t , a number c N of particles within said size range per volume of water,

- compare c "with a previously determined reference value c" e ^ for the number of particles per volume of water flowing in the pipe; and

- take a sample of the water from the pipeline when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TV £ for more than a predetermined period of time t% ,

(ii) diverting a flow of water from the pipeline to a filter unit that filters the water to provide a permeate flow and a concentrate flow, and

- taking a sample of at least one of the permeate flow and the concentrate flow when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TV¡¡ for more than a predetermined period of time t¡¡; and

(iii) send an alarm signal when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value 7V" for more than a predetermined period of time 7V ".

The alarm signal, for example, can be an electronic signal to a computer or mobile phone.

A preferred embodiment comprises adding ozone to the water flowing in the pipe when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVg for more than a predetermined period of time tj. The addition, for example, can be done by allowing the water flowing in the pipeline passes through a tank or chamber, in which tank or chamber ozone is also admitted, and allowing the water to drain out of the tank after a suitable treatment period. The size of the particles counted by the meter generally varies from about 0.1 mm to about 100 mm. In one embodiment, the particle counter continuously counts particles within a Si particle size range of, for example, 0.5 to 3 mm to provide a cf number of particles. within said size range per volume of water. This embodiment preferably comprises taking a sample of the permeate flow from the filtering unit when cf exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVg for a more than predetermined period of time.

In one embodiment, the particle counter continuously counts particles within a particle size range S ² of, for example, 3 to 25 mm to provide a cf number of particles within said size range per volume of water. This embodiment preferably comprises taking a sample of the concentrate flow from the filter unit when cf exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVg for more than a predetermined period of time t |.

The samples taken preferably undergo one or more physical, chemical, biochemical or microbiological analyzes.

One embodiment further comprises continuously measuring at least one additional physical or chemical parameter of water flow, eg, a parameter selected from dissolved solids in water, dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, and turbidity.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a water control system suitable for performing the method of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of an in-line ozone water treatment system that is not within the scope of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a graph showing the particle count measured in water over a 24 hour time period. "Group 1" corresponds to particles measured within a small particle size range of 1 to 3 mm and "Group 2" corresponds to particles measured within a large particle size range of 3 to 25 mm.

Detailed description of the invention

The method of the invention comprises diverting a flow of water from the pipeline to a particle counter that continuously counts particles within a particle size range Sn in the diverted water flow, to continuously provide information on the number c "of particles. within said size range, by volume of water.

The water flow diverted from the water flowing in the pipe, for example, is a flow from 5 l / min to 10 l / min. The water flow is diverted from the pipe in any suitable place. For example, if the water is wastewater that will be discharged through an outlet, into a container, the flow must be diverted anywhere upstream from the outlet.

At least part of the diverted flow passes through a laser particle counter, where the particles present in the water flow are counted continuously. The laser particle counter can be any conventional liquid phase particle counter, for example a laser counter operating within a wavelength of 330 to 870 nm, such as WPC-21, commercially available from HACH LANGE, MetOne and others.

The particles that are counted generally have a particle size within a range of 0.1 mm to 100 mm, for example 0.2 mm to 50 mm, or 0.5 mm to 25 mm, for example a size range generally corresponding to microbiological contaminants such as viruses, bacteria and protozoan parasites, and small particles of organic and inorganic matter, eg drug residues. Within this group, bacteria and viruses are generally at the small end, while parasites are generally at the large end. Accordingly, particle counts within a size range of 0.1 to 5 mm, for example, within a size range of 0.2 to 5 mm, or within a size range of 0.5 to 3mm will give an indication of the presence of viruses and bacteria in the water, and can also give an indication of the presence of drug residues. On the other hand, particle counts within a size range of 3 to 100mm, or 3 to 50mm, for example 3 to 25mm, for example 5 to 100mm, or 5 to 50mm for example 5 to 25mm, or 10 to 100mm, for example 10 to 50mm, or 10 to 25mm will give an indication of the presence of parasites in the water, and can also give an indication of the presence of drug residues. Drug residues can be both particulate drug residues and drug substances bound to microbe particles.

Accordingly, in one embodiment, the particles are continuously counted within a particle size range S ¹ corresponding generally to the size of viruses and bacteria, eg, a size range of from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm, or from about 0.2mm to about 5mm, for example, from about 0.5mm to about 3mm; for example, about 0.1mm, or about 0.2mm, or about 0.3mm, or about 0.4mm, or about 0.5mm, up to about 5mm, or up to about 4mm, or up to about 3mm or up to about 2mm, to continuously provide information on the number c "of particles within said size range per volume of water.

Furthermore, in one embodiment, the particles are continuously counted within a particle size range S ² corresponding generally to the size of the microbiological parasites, for example, a size range of about 3 mm to about 100 mm, or about 3mm to about 50mm, for example, from about 3mm to about 25mm, for example, from about 3mm, or from about 4mm, or from about 5mm, or from about 6mm, or from about 8mm , or about 10mm, up to about 100mm, or up to about 80mm, or up to about 50mm or up to about 25mm to continuously provide information on the cf number of particles within said size range per volume of water.

Preferably, the particles are counted within or over both the S ¹ and S ² particle size ranges. In some embodiments, the particles can be counted within several different size ranges, for example, sub ranges of any of the ranges mentioned above, or any other range corresponding to microbial contamination or other particulate contamination.

In the method of the invention, the amount of particles c "within a given size range Sn is continuously compared with a predetermined reference value for the number of particles within this size range per volume of water flowing in the pipe. .

The c ™ ef number is preferably determined for each type of fitting and water, and may be, for example, a value obtained by counting particles within the Sn particle size range in a water flow diverted from the pipeline during a preliminary period, of for example 1 hour, 10 hours, 1 day or even 1 week or more, by which a mean or "reference" value for the particle count is obtained, as well as an indication of the normal amplitude of the fluctuations around this mean value, allowing a Gaussian distribution to be calculated around a mean value.

The determination of can be repeated regularly, for example, once a day, once a week, once a month or once a year, or at any other selected time interval, or when deemed necessary due to a change in any conditions, for example environmental conditions or water treatment method, etc.

Other ways of determining c ™ ef are conceivable and considered within the scope of the skilled person. For example, in some embodiments it is determined continuously as a mean value of particle counts measured within the size range over a period of time prior to time ti.

In the method of the invention, a sample of the water is taken when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value ( TV £) for more than a predetermined period of time t% (the" threshold time "). Very advantageously, the sampling is activated automatically when the above condition is satisfied TV¿ is preferably selected using the Gaussian distribution around. For example, to select a suitable TV £ the standard deviation On associated with c "e / can be calculated, and TV £ can be selected as a function of On , that is, TV £ = q * On, where q can be a number from, for example, 1 to 10, for example, from 1.5 to 5, or from 2 to 4. However, it should be noted that TV £ (as well as any other of the threshold values referred to in this document) can also be selected by any other suitable method, for example, from previous experience, by studying the amplitude of variations over a period of time in the particular environment, or as a f Default actor of c "e / for example, a factor of 2 to 1000, or a factor of 4 to 500, or a factor of 5 to 200, or a factor of 10 to 100, or a factor of 20 to 50.

You will find that the particle count will be subject to normal fluctuations and short-lived spikes may occur at irregular intervals. Therefore, to avoid "false positives", a water sample collection should preferably be activated only where c "has exceeded a predetermined threshold value TV £ for more than a predetermined period of time t%, of, for example, 5 seconds to 1 hour, for example, 10 seconds to 0.5 hours, or 0.5 minutes to 10 minutes, or 1 minute to 5 minutes.

In some embodiments, multiple threshold values TV¿ are selected for any range of particle size, with corresponding thresholds, where a higher threshold value is associated with a shorter threshold time t%. For example, for a threshold value TVJl = d ^ ef + q * On, the corresponding threshold time t% (q) can be selected so that

(q) = | X tjf (1).

Preferably, the sampling will be repeated as long as the particle count remains higher than a predetermined threshold value, which may be the same as TV¿ or different. For example, sampling can be repeated at least until the particle count has returned to a value lower than c "e ^ q '* On, where q' for example, is 0.5, 1, 1.5 or 2.

The water sample is taken at a selected location to give a representative sample of the water flowing in the pipe. In some embodiments of the invention, water samples are drawn directly from the pipe. For example, water samples can be drawn using a modular base sampler that includes a plurality of sterile sample bottles, eg, 4 sterile sample bottles. Sampling and preservation of the sample is preferably performed by following standards for water sampling, such as the relevant ASTM standards.

During a contamination time of, for example, 5 to 60 seconds or 120 seconds or longer, water samples are collected until the particle count reaches a predetermined threshold value, and optionally also until any other measured parameter reaches a predetermined threshold value. For example, 6 samples can be collected per hour, for as long as deemed necessary or for as long as any threshold value is exceeded. This provides better statistics and confidence to analyze the results.

The method of the invention further comprises diverting a flow of water from the pipeline to a filter unit that filters the water to provide a permeate flow and a concentrate flow, and taking a sample from at least one of the permeate flow and the concentrate flow when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TV¡¡ for more than a predetermined period of time t¡¡. TV¡¡ and t¡¡ can be selected in the same way as TV¿ and t%, using the value of previously determined reference c ™ ef and the associated Gaussian distribution of particle counts In some embodiments, TV¡¡- and t¡¡ are identical to TV¿ and t%.

In some embodiments, a sample is taken from the fraction with the highest concentration of particles within the Sn particle size range . In some embodiments, a sample is taken from the fraction with the lowest concentration of particles within the particle size range Sn.

Accordingly, the method comprises diverting a flow of water from the pipeline to a filter unit that filters the water to provide a permeate flow and a concentrate flow, and taking a sample from at least one of the permeate flow and the flow. of concentrate when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TV¡¡ for more than a predetermined period of time t¡¡.

In some embodiments, a sample is taken from the concentrate stream. In some other embodiments, a sample is taken from the permeate stream.

A filter unit, for example, can be a conventional ceramic water filter, such as the filter cartridges sold, for example, by Doulton USA.

By selecting a filter unit having a suitable threshold pore size, for example a threshold pore size of about 3mm, two fractions are recoverable, i.e. a first fraction containing particles larger than the threshold size, such as protozoan parasites such as Cryptosporidium or Giardia and a second fraction containing particles smaller than the threshold size, eg bacteria, viruses and particulate drug residues. Any one fraction may be sampled, but preferably both fractions are taken.

For example, a suitable system for concentrating small to medium volumes (eg, 50 ml to 10 L) of sample consists of a membrane capillary, a pressure gauge, a ceramic membrane module, and a tank. The water sample collected in the tank is forced through the membranes in the membrane module by the pump and recirculated back to the tank. By means of this ceramic membrane cross-flow filtration, two fractions are obtained: one is permeated and the other is concentrated.

In some embodiments, at least a fraction, eg, concentrated, is subject to optical monitoring, PCR analysis, or traditional incubation. In some embodiments, the diverted flow to the ceramic filter unit is recirculated there, to obtain a concentrating effect, and the recirculating fluid is sampled at regular intervals, for example, whenever the particle count exceeds a threshold value. , like TV. . This can be particularly useful in detecting the presence of parasites that are pathogenic even at very low concentrations, that is, that have a low infectious dose, such as Cryptosporidium or Giardia.

Samples taken in the method of the invention can be analyzed directly or can be stored for later analysis. Samples stored for further analysis are preferably kept at a low temperature, for example, at a temperature below 8 ° C, such as a temperature of 4 to 6 ° C, at least until the time of analysis.

The analysis of the sample can be by any microbiological, biochemical, chemical or physical method to analyze the water, as is well known to the expert in the field, for example, following the water test standards appropriate according to ASTM.

The method of the invention also comprises the automatic sending of an alarm signal when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TV" for more than a predetermined period of time t ". TV * yt "can be selected according to the same principles as TV £ yt jj and in some embodiments are identical with TV £ i with TVg and

The alarm signal is preferably an electronic signal, for example sent over the Internet to a computer or to a mobile phone, such as a smartphone.

In some embodiments, an alarm signal is also sent at the end of a contamination episode, that is, when the particle count within a size range decreases to and below a threshold value.

Other events can be linked to the alarm signal, such as the interruption of the water flow in the pipeline or the diversion of the flow, for example, to a purification system or a recirculation circuit, or back to the treatment plant .

In some embodiments, the method comprises adding ozone to the water flowing in the pipeline where c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVg for more than a predetermined period of time t ,. TVg and t, can be selected in the same way as TV¿ and t% and in some embodiments they are identical with TV¿ and t%, or with TV¡¡- and tg, or with TV * and

The addition of ozone to the water flowing in the pipe is activated automatically and preferably will continue as long as c * exceeds a predetermined threshold value, which may or may not be identical with TV $.

The addition of ozone is preferably accomplished by allowing the water flowing in the pipe to pass through a chamber or tank to which ozone can also be added in a signal triggered by particle counting.

In some embodiments, the water flowing through the pipeline approximately 0.05 g, 0.1 g, 0.2 g, 0.5 g, 1 g, or 2 g or less than 5 g of ozone per m3 of water to cause the degradation of drug residues and other chemical substances, for example, residues of personal care products, as well as microorganisms present in water. At such a low concentration of ozone, it has been found that no harmful by-products of ozone treatment remain in the water, while the total organic carbon (TOC) and discoloration of the water can be reduced by, for example, 20% and 50%, respectively. The bacterial count in the wastewater can be reduced to zero by such ozone treatment.

In some embodiments, the ozone concentration in the treated water is from about 0.05 ppm to about 5 ppm, for example, from about 0.05 ppm to about 2 ppm, or from about 0.1 ppm to about 2 ppm. .

An ozone treatment time of 5 minutes to 2 hours, for example 10 minutes to 1 hour, is generally sufficient, but shorter or longer treatment times can be applied if considered appropriate, considering, for example, the level of contamination.

In some embodiments, the water is continuously treated by adding ozone, and the amount of ozone added to the water is adjusted based on the amount of measured particles (c "). For example, when c" is lower than TV £ , a low amount of, for example, 0.01, or 0.02, or 0.05 mg of ozone / m3 of water is added, the amount of which is automatically raised when c "exceeds TV $.

Generally, ozone concentrations much higher than those mentioned above are considered necessary to achieve satisfactory destruction of contaminants, such as pharmaceutical residues, in water. In contrast, in a highly advantageous embodiment of the invention, amazingly efficient destruction of various chemical residues is achieved by adding only a small amount of ozone. Said chemical residues can be of any origin, pharmaceutical pesticides, insecticides, personal care products, etc. Effective destruction is achieved by adding ozone to the wastewater only after the wastewater has undergone other stages of scrubbing treatment to remove coarse contaminants that would otherwise destroy the added ozone.

In some embodiments, ozone is added to the water using the technology described in WO / 2002/017975 (see above). In particular, the mixing chambers and tanks described in that document allow a very efficient mixing of ozone and water, which will further increase the effectiveness of ozone in destroying unwanted residual substances in the water in a very low amount of added ozone.

In some embodiments, the method of the invention further comprises

- continuously measure at least one additional physical or chemical parameter of water,

- compare the P- value of the physical or chemical parameter measured with a reference value Pref for the parameter previously determined for water,

- send an alarm signal when P differs from Pref by more than a predetermined threshold value Ap for more than a predetermined period of time tp.

For each parameter, Pref can be determined by applying the same principle as when determining Sn, and the threshold value Ap and the threshold time can be selected as described above for TVJ1 and t £.

For example, total dissolved solids, POR (oxidation-reduction potential), dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, oxygen demand, electrical conductivity, temperature, or any other parameter of the water flowing in the pipe. It can be determined, by measuring directly online (in the pipeline), or by taking a sample from the pipeline, or for example by diverting one or more additional flows from the pipeline, for example, by sampling or online analysis of the flow to the meter particles and / or from the flow directed to the fractionation unit. The person skilled in the art will be able to select the appropriate means and methods to carry out the chosen analysis, for example, applying any of the methods indicated as ASTM standard methods for the analysis of water, see, for example, http: // www.astm.Org/Standards/water-testing-standards.html#D19.24.

Accordingly, the control system of the invention preferably also comprises at least one of:

- a TDS (total dissolved solids) sensor capable of measuring total dissolved solids in a water flow in a range of 0-5000 ppm (mg / l);

- an electrical conductivity sensor that tracks electrical conductivity in water within a range of 0-10000 micro S; and

- a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water.

In some preferred embodiments, the system comprises the three sensors, connected to the water pipe, and all the information of the measured values is calculated and stored in a real-time database.

Next, a system for controlling a flow of, for example, treated wastewater or source water (for example, water from a lake or river) suitable for performing the method of the present invention is described as illustrated in Figure 1. , and a method according to the present invention in which such a system is used. In this system, the water is drawn from a treated sewage stream or from a water source flowing in a pipeline 1 by means of the on / off valve / a flow regulator 2 and allowed to flow through a pre-filter unit 3, followed by the on / off valve / flow regulator 4.

In the distributor unit 5, for example a manifold, the water flow is divided into three different flows, which pass through the on / off valves / flow regulators 6, 7 and 8, respectively.

The water flowing through the valve 6 enters the sampling manifold 9. The manifold 9, for example of the Burkert type, preferably has an internal design such as to avoid corners and threads and the internal material is made of, for example, made of electropolished stainless steel or inert plastic material. The main advantage of this design and material selection is that it will create minimal bacterial and biofilm growth within the collector that is otherwise commonly occurring. The manifold 9 is easy to remove and clean even under operating conditions. For example, the collector 9 can be cleaned using a gaseous stream containing ozone at a concentration of about 30-50 ppm, or an aqueous stream containing dissolved ozone at a concentration of 0.3-0.5 mg / l, or whatever another means of disinfection used in the field of food and medicine, eg chemical disinfection.

The manifold 9 comprises four outlets, that is, the outlets 10a, 10b, 10c and the outlet / valve 12. The water leaving the sampling manifold 9 through the outlets 10a, 10b, and 10c flows into the filter unit. ceramic 11 or into different sampling bottles (not shown). In the ceramic filter unit 11, the water is filtered through a ceramic membrane (not shown), to provide a permeate and a concentrate. The on / off valve / flow regulator 13 allows the sample 15 to be extracted from the permeate from the ceramic membrane and the on / off valve / flow regulator 14 allows samples 16 to be extracted from the concentrate. The water exiting the sampling manifold 9 through valve 12 is discharged to a drain for water.

The water leaving the distributor 5 through the valve 7 is discharged directly to the drain, while the water leaving the distributor 5 through the valve 8 enters the control 16, which contains sensors / detectors and a communication system (not shown), which communicates, for example, via the Internet, with the computer 18. The sensors / detectors of the control 16 allow to determine various parameters of the water, such as the total dissolved solids, the count of particles in various size ranges, total particle concentration, ionic strength, pH, temperature, TDS, dissolved oxygen, etc. Computer 18 can also collect other information, such as weather information from different agencies. The water exiting control 16 through valve 17 is discharged to a drain.

The system illustrated in Figure 1 can also be applied, for example, to drinking water in a distribution line municipal, in which case pre-filter 3 can be omitted.

The system illustrated in Figure 1 can be stationary or portable (with the exception of pipe 1, which is generally not part of the system).

In the method for monitoring water of the present invention, water samples are drawn from the water pipe, for example, at a signal from the particle counter, as described hereinabove. In one embodiment, water samples are drawn using a modular base sampler that includes 4 sterile sampling bottles and / or filters. The bottles preferably contain 10 mg of sodium thiosulfate according to the standard. The sampler has a manifold that is on top of the sampler and connected to the main distribution pipe. Through the sampler there is a continuous flow of 5 l / min which always provides fresh water flowing.

In the manifold, for example of the Bürkert type, 4 electric valves are mounted, having the function of opening and closing at a given signal. The signal to open or close comes from a repeater that will be activated when activated, for example by an SMS message and / or a direct remote command from a main body that may be nearby or several kilometers away.

The manifold has an internal design to avoid corners and threads and the internal material is made of, for example, electropolished stainless steel or inert plastic material. The main advantage of this collector is that it will create minimal bacterial and biofilm growth within the collector which is otherwise normal. The manifold is easy to remove and clean even in operating condition. For example, the collector can be cleaned using a gaseous stream containing ozone at a concentration of about 30-100 ppm, or an aqueous stream containing dissolved ozone at a concentration of 0.3-0.5 mg / l, or any other medium for disinfection, eg chemical substances, used in the food and medicinal field.

The sampler can be placed on a table or on the wall. Several of these samplers can be connected at different locations in the distribution network.

The sampler should preferably include a refrigeration chamber that maintains the temperature at a low temperature of, for example, 4-6 ° C.

The sampled water may be, for example, 100 ml, 250 ml, 500 ml, 1000 ml or even 10,000 ml, and although sampling is preferably done automatically, manual sampling is also possible. Samples, whether they have been filtered / concentrated or not, can be analyzed by, for example, incubation, PCR or optical fluorescence technology or biochemically.

For example, a sample taken from any of the diverted flows from the pipe, for example a sample from the filter unit, and / or a sample taken directly from the pipe, can be analyzed for the presence of protozoa, for example Cryptosporidium and / or Giardia, as well as the presence of bacteria, such as bacteria selected from any of the commonly used bacterial contamination indicator organisms, such as coliform organisms, eg, fecal coliform bacteria.

A system which is not within the scope of the present invention also preferably comprises means for ozone treatment of water. Figure 2 represents a schematic overview of an ozone treatment system. In Figure 2, the control system 16 receives water diverted from a pipe (not shown), from which pipe a flow is also diverted to an ozone treatment system. The system comprises an ozone generator 19, which receives oxygen from an oxygen cylinder 20 and regulated by an ozone gas control 21. The water, which in the case illustrated in Figure 2 is treated wastewater, is transported to a tank ozone treatment 22, into which tank the ozone from the ozone generator 19 is introduced. Tank 22 is equipped with a level control to detect the water level in the tank and a manometer (M) for the water pressure in the tank.

From tank 22, excess ozone is directed to ozone destroyer 23. Ozone-treated water is transported by pump 24 from tank 22 to control 25 that measures the remaining ozone. By sampling ozone-treated water, the level of remaining contamination, for example the remaining amount of chemicals or microbiological particles, can be determined. If the quality is satisfactory, the water is allowed to flow out of the ozone cleaning system at ("Ozone Cleaned Water Outlet"). The water can also be returned to tank 22 for further ozone treatment, for example, if sampling shows that the remaining level of contamination is still too high.

The present disclosure is further illustrated in the following non-limiting Examples. Examples 1 through 4 and 8 describe methods that are within the scope of the present invention, Examples 6 and 7 describe methods that are not within the scope of the present invention.

EXAMPLE 1

From a stream of treated wastewater running through a pipe, a flow of 5 l / min is diverted to the laser meter which operates at a wavelength of 330 to 870 nm, to continuously count particles in a size range of 0.5 to 25 mm. An additional flow of water from the pipe is diverted to a ceramic filtration unit and separated into a permeate flow containing particles capable of passing through filter pores having a diameter of approximately 5 mm, as well as dissolved substances , and a stream of concentrate containing particles that have not passed through the filter pores.

At time t, the particle count within the small particle size range of 0.5 to 3 mm suddenly increases and remains above a pre-selected threshold value of 1000 particles / L for more than a pre-selected threshold time of 1 minute . This triggers the collection of a 200 ml sample from the permeate stream.

The particle count remains above 1000 particles / L in the flow for a period of 1 hour and then returns to a value below this threshold value. During this time period, in total, 5 additional samples are collected from the permeate stream and stored at a temperature of 5 ° C or subjected to microbiological analysis for the presence of coliform organisms, respectively.

EXAMPLE 2

From a stream of treated wastewater running through a pipe, a flow of 5 l / min is diverted to the laser counter operating at a wavelength of 330 to 870 nm, to continuously count particles in a size range of 0, 5 to 25 mm. An additional flow of water from the pipe is diverted to a ceramic filtration unit and separated into a permeate flow containing particles capable of passing through filter pores having a diameter of approximately 5 mm, as well as dissolved substances , and a stream of concentrate containing particles that have not passed through the filter pores.

At time t, the particle count within the small particle size range of 0.5 to 3 mm suddenly increases and remains above a preselected threshold value of 10,000 particles / L for more than a preselected threshold time of 0, 5 minutes. This triggers the taking of a 200 ml sample from the permeate stream, sending an alarm signal to a computer, and adding ozone to the wastewater from the pipeline in an ozone treatment tank downstream of the particle counter. . In the tank, the wastewater is treated with 1 g of ozone / m3 of water. After 3 hours, the particle count returns to less than 10,000 particles / L. After an additional hour, the particle count within the low size range has returned to less than 1000 particles / L and the ozone addition is discontinued. Over the entire 4-hour period, in total, 20 permeate flow samples are collected and stored at 5 ° C, or subjected to microbiological analysis for the presence of coliform organisms, respectively.

EXAMPLE 3

From a stream of treated wastewater running through a pipe, a flow of 5 l / min is diverted to the laser counter operating at a wavelength of 330 to 870 nm, to continuously count particles in a size range of 0, 5 to 25 mm. An additional flow of water from the pipe is diverted to a ceramic filtration unit where it is separated into a permeate flow containing particles capable of passing through filter pores having a diameter of approximately 5 mm, as well as substances dissolved, and a concentrate stream containing particles that have not passed through the filter pores.

At time t, the particle count within the large size range of 3 to 25 mm suddenly increases and remains above a preselected threshold value of 1000 particles / L for more than a preselected threshold time of 0.5 minutes. This triggers the taking of a 200 ml sample from the concentrate stream, sending an alarm signal to a computer, and adding ozone to the wastewater from the pipeline, in an ozone treatment tank downstream from the meter. particles. In the tank, the wastewater is treated with 0.5 g of ozone / m3 of water. After 2 hours, the particle count returns to less than 1000 particles / L. After an additional hour, the particle count within the large particle size range has returned to below 500 particles / L and the ozone addition is discontinued.

Over the entire 3 hour period, a total of 9 samples are collected from the concentrate stream and stored at a temperature of 5 ° C or subjected to microbiological analysis for the presence of protozoa, for example Giardia and Cryptosporidium, respectively.

EXAMPLE 4

In Examples 1 to 3 above, sensors placed in the wastewater pipe, upstream of the ozone treatment tank, continuously measure dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, and water turbidity. flowing in the pipe.

EXAMPLE 5

In Examples 1 to 4 above, sensors placed in the wastewater pipe, downstream of the ozone treatment tank, continuously measure total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, temperature and turbidity of the water flowing in the pipe.

EXAMPLE 6

The treated wastewater was transported to an ozone treatment tank as generally illustrated in Figure 2, where ozone was added at a level of 1 g / m3 of water using a mixing chamber as described in WO / 2002/017975 (see above). The water treatment time in the tank was 5 minutes.

The concentration of various drug residues (ie, residual amounts of pharmaceutical substances) was determined in untreated samples (Control) and in water samples after ozone treatment (T rated). The results are shown in Table 1.

Table 1

As shown in EXAMPLE 6, in a further embodiment, a very effective method is provided to reduce the amount of drug residues in water, not only in wastewater from the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and from households, but also in tap water used for drinking, which is a growing problem globally.

In this embodiment a method is provided for treating the water flowing in a pipe, by bringing the water into contact with a low amount of ozone, for example 0.1 to 5 mg ozone / m3 of water, for a time period of, for example, 1 minute to 2 hours, for example, using a mixing chamber as described in WO / 2002/017975 (see above). In particular, such a method can be used to reduce residual amounts of chemicals, such as pharmaceutical compounds and their residues, as well as other organic compounds, in treated wastewater and municipal waters.

EXAMPLE 7

The wastewater was treated as described in EXAMPLE 6 and the number of microorganisms remaining, the total dissolved carbon and the color measured at 410 nm were determined in untreated samples (Control) and in water samples after ozone treatment. (treated with ozone). Results are shown in table 2.

Table 2

EXAMPLE 8

From a stream of treated wastewater running through a pipe, a flow of 6 L / min was diverted to the laser counter operating at a wavelength of 330 to 870 nm, to continuously count particles in a size range of 1 to 25 mm over a period of several days.

Based on the measured values, the reference values c} ef = 350 particles / ml were determined for the particle count within a small particle size range of 1 to 3 mm (Group 1) and = 100 particles / ml for the particle count within a large particle size range of 3 to 25 (Group 2).

In addition, the threshold values TV} and TV} were selected to take a sample of water flowing through the pipe, the threshold value TV} and TV} to take a sample of the permeate flow and the concentrate flow, respectively, the values threshold TV} and TV} to send an alarm signal and the threshold values TV} and TV} for the ozone treatment of the water flowing in the pipeline, together with the corresponding time thresholds t¿, t} ,, t¿ , t 3, and,

The selected values are shown in the following Table 3.

Table 3

The water flowing in the pipe was monitored for a period of 24 h. In Figure 3, the number of particles per ml c¡- and c3 measured at each moment ti is shown within the small size range and within the large size range respectively, for the entire period, during which the threshold values they were exceeded once, triggering the sending of an alarm signal, the sampling of the permeate and concentrate flow, and the addition of ozone.

Claims (11)

1. A method of controlling the quality of the water flowing in a pipe, by means of the diversion of a flow of water from the pipeline to a laser particle counter that continuously counts the particles within a particle size range Sn in the diverted water flow, to determine for each time ti a number c "of particles within of said size range per volume of water, - compare c "with a previously determined reference value for the number of particles per volume of water flowing in the pipe; and - take a sample of the water from the pipeline when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVJ1 for more than a predetermined period of time and - send an alarm signal when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TV¡> for more than a predetermined period of time t"; characterized by - diverting a flow of water from the pipeline to a filter unit that filters the water to provide a permeate flow and a concentrate flow, and - taking a sample of at least one of said permeate flow and the concentrate flow when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TV¡¡ for more than a predetermined period of time t¡¡. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising adding ozone to the water flowing in the pipe when c "exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVg for more than a predetermined period of time tjj. The method of claim 2, wherein the water flowing in the pipe is contacted with ozone at a concentration of 0.05 to 5 mg ozone / m3 of water for a period of time from 5 minutes to 2 hours. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the filter unit is a ceramic membrane filter unit. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the particle counter continuously counts particles within a particle size range S ¹ of 0.1 to 3 mm to provide a cf number of particles within said size range per volume of water. The method of claim 5, comprising taking a sample of the permeate flow from the filter unit when cf exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVg for more than a predetermined period of time. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the particle counter continuously counts particles within a particle size range S ² of 3 to 25 mm to provide a number c3 of particles within said range of size per volume of water. The method of claim 7, comprising taking a sample from the concentrate stream from the filter unit when c3 exceeds a predetermined threshold value TVg for more than a predetermined period of time t |. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising performing at least one physical, chemical, biochemical or microbiological analysis of a sample of water taken. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising - continuously measure at least one additional physical or chemical parameter of the water flow, - compare the P- value of the measured physical or chemical parameter with a reference value Pref of the parameter previously determined for water, and - send an alarm signal when P differs from Pref by more than a predetermined threshold value for more than a predetermined period of time tP. The method of claim 10, wherein the parameter is selected from total dissolved solids, POR (oxidation-reduction potential), dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, and turbidity.